Don’t Hate on Topps Stickers

We often discuss the return of 1980’s and 90’s kids to the hobby and what it means. While recalling the fun they had as youngsters, they often wander into card shops or go online looking for a product to share with their own youngsters. While many current products are beyond the reach of casual collectors, you can’t say that about 2014 Topps Baseball Stickers. While even those produced back in the early 80’s have never enjoyed a huge upside, the product is an important one. Kids still love stickers and if they love Topps baseball stickers, well, the chances are they might decide to collect cardboard as time goes on.

At about $40 per box of 50 packs, with eight stickers in each, that’s a lot of bang for the buck–even for an adult collector looking for a low-priced rip and something a little different. There are 315 in the set including today’s players, some retired greats that even youngsters might know and logo and mascot cards. There are no ‘hits’ here, and that’s not what this product is about.

My local card store is not carrying the sticker boxes. He says it’s not something his collectors ask for. To me, this is a shame as even if the product does not sell, an issue such as this becomes perhaps the best giveaway any retail card store can have. After all, a few sticker packs to the kids(and even the adults) who just wander in leaves a great impression.

As they have over the past few years, these stickers use very attractive player photos and even have Rookie Card logos for those players who qualify for that distinction.

The white-bordered fronts have nice full-color pictures with the player’s name and team logo on the bottom. The back gives the sticker number and licensing information. Considering the purpose is to put the stickers into an album, just as we did in the 1980’s, not putting any information on the back is not really a bad idea.

Because there are no hits, we are not going to do a box breakdown but I did notice that each 32-page album also has six stickers in a sheet similar to the old Dynamite card magazine. It has been a while since I had one of those old card strips but that was what I thinking of when I opened the album and saw it.

For those who like their collecting kept simple, 2014 Topps Baseball stickers are a nice remedy for a rainy day and a valuable part of trying to get the new generation engaged in the hobby. See them on eBay here.

Rich Klein has spent almost his entire life collecting baseball cards having begun at the tender age of seven. He has spent more than three decades in the organized hobby including editing the first 12 editions of the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Card and Collectibles. He lives in Plano, TX along with his wife Dena and their two dogs. You can reach him at [email protected].